Army Corps of Engineers removing last traces of historic Newark Bay railroad bridge

Bayonne Historical SocietyThe bridge remnants being blasted today in Newark Bay were once the foundation of a railroad bridge that connected Bayonne with Elizabeth.

The bridge foundation in the Newark Bay that the Army Corps of Engineers aims to remove this week was once the Central Railroad of New Jersey Newark Bay Bridge, a vertical lift bridge that carried trains between Bayonne and Elizabeth.

Bayonne Historical Society co-founder, former president and current 3-year trustee Lee Fahley said the bridge had an interesting history. Perhaps the most notable event involving the bridge was an accident that occurred in 1958, in which a commuter train plunged into the bay when it failed to stop for a raised lift span. The accident claimed the lives of 48 people, including former New York Yankees second baseman Snuffy Stirnweiss.

"It appears the engineer had a heart attack," Fahley said.

The Bayonne Historical Society had a memorial service for the victims of the accident in 2008 on the 50th anniversary of the crash. Historical Society Vice President Gerry Nowicki said the Society collected photos and information about the crash and dropped wreaths at the site of the old bridge to commemorate the victims.

Fahley said the bridge replaced an earlier outdated bridge that spanned Newark Bay. It opened in 1926 and featured four tracks, two in each direction, and four lift spans that allowed vessels to pass below the bridge. The bridge became obsolete when the Central Railroad of New Jersey rerouted passenger trains away from Bayonne under the Aldene Plan. It was demolished between 1980 and 1988.

"Even though it was a very good bridge, it still became obsolete," Fahley said. "It was modern for its time."

Fahley said demolition crews removed all traces of the bridge other than the concrete footings that were the foundation of the bridge.

"That's the only thing that's left there," Fahley said. "When they tried to remove them in 1981, they had a very difficult time."